


Madison Just Wants to Read His Damn Book

by abbeytre3



Series: Why Did I Make These Friends [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Valentine's Day, james has had enough of this shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-22
Updated: 2017-03-22
Packaged: 2018-10-09 03:09:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10402449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abbeytre3/pseuds/abbeytre3
Summary: With Valentine's Day growing ever closer, James decides that he can't take any more of Thomas' whining and takes matters into his own hands.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse, its not even February. I wrote this anyways.

Thomas had all he ever wanted in life. He had a car, paid off his student loans (And he was still a senior!), could finally quit the McDonalds night shift and have a normal sleeping schedule for once, and had Jemmy, his best friend.

He stretched and leaned across the table, carefully nudging James’ coffee close to the edge. His friend just picked it up and took a sip, barely pulling his eyes from his book, “You are a cat, I swear.” James pushed Thomas’ arms away from his half of the table, “And I’ve been with you for literal years, you don’t have to regale me about your perfect life just because Hamilton is right behind us.”

Thomas shot straight up and started sputtering, I am— completely offen— am not— listen! Just because he’s there does not mean anything!” Thomas crossed his arms and looked away petulantly, “Just wanted to tell you how my day was going.”

James nodded, “Uh huh. And I lied. Hamilton left with Laurens about a half hour ago. You’ve been posturing for nobody.”

He swiveled his head behind them, and sure enough, the seat, and surrounding area was completely free of any Hamilton sized sweater bundles.

James closed his book and placed it gently on the table, removing his reading glasses, and raising his head slowly, hitting Thomas with a piercing look, “It’s February.”

Thomas warily replied, “Uh huh.”

“Every February you rope me into some elaborate plan to ask Hamilton out and every year you give up the day of. What’s your master plan this time?  You’ve been suspiciously quiet and its starting to freak me out.”

Thomas gasped dramatically and grasped his shirt just above his heart, “Jemmy! I think that’s the most words you’ve ever said to me on that matter! I feel so honored.” He rocked forward in his chair, suddenly serious, “And nothing.”

James raised a single eyebrow, “Nothing? Have you finally decided that you could do better?”

Thomas threw up his hands in a grand display, “Actually! If I do nothing this year, he’ll surely notice, because I’ve planned some grand things for the last three years! He doesn’t know what he’s missing until its gone.”

“Thomas. The only one who knows about your grand plans is me. You’ve flaked every year. He doesn’t have anything _to_ miss.”

Ever the dramatic one, he thumped his head down on the table and groaned. James just sighed and went back to his book.

 

 

James couldn’t go on like this forever. He knew certain things, and unfortunately one of those things was that his friendship with Thomas was a forever friendship. They were going to graduate together, rock the government together, and eventually retire together. And if Hamilton did not factor into those plans, it was going to be a _long_ forever, filled with whining and moaning until they were dead.

So, he had to do something. It was February 5th, nine days to Valentine’s, and he knew Thomas was a huge, sappy romantic at heart. At times, disgustingly so. If he could just… ah, that just might work.

All he needed was a little help, and if it included spilling Thomas’ deepest, darkest secret, so be it.

 

 

John, Hercules, and Lafayette were sprawled across the lounge chairs in the library, waiting for James to show up.

With a cough and a wheeze announcing his arrival, James slid into view, cursing his traction-less shoes.  Seeing that the Hamilsquad had assembled, he coughed once more for attention despite the laser focus on him, and began talking, “So, I am sure that you are wondering why I gathered you here today-”

Laurens threw his hands up, “Uh Yeah!”

Lafayette yawned, “We are, how you say, tired of all of this mystery.”

“Yeah man, you made it sound like you were holding Alex up for ransom or something,” remarked Mulligan.

James unwrapped his scarf and dropped into a chair facing the group, “I want Hamilton to agree to be in the Levorie resteraunt at seven thirty on Febuary the 14th.”

Lafayette gushed, “Oooh mon petit leon has an admirer! I will surely help you in your endeavor to win the little Alex’s heart!” And Lafayette was lost in his starry-eyed adventure of finding true love for his most ardent of friends.

James started folding his scarf in his lap, “Your Alex certainly does have an admirer. Thomas hasn’t shut up about him for the last three years. I need him to put up or shut up.”

A choked sound drew James’ attention over to Laurens. The young man appeared to have swallowed his tongue. “J-Jefferson?!”

“You have to be mistaken, those two can’t be in the same room together without tearing into each other. Even if Jefferson _has_ feelings, I doubt they could even survive dinner together.” Mulligan rested his case.

James ran his eyes over the people in the room, taking a moment before responding. Laurens was disbelieving and wary, Lafayette had his head in the clouds and his day planner out, already making the itinerary, and Mulligan was listening. He could work with this.

“Right, so the first thing I need is-“

 

 

“Hamilton.”

He inclined his head, “Madison.”

James leaned back in his chair, sipping his coffee in the same shop he was with Thomas three days earlier. It was now Febuary 8th, six days left to create the perfect Valentine’s surprise. Finally he might get some peace to read his book in. “So. Freshman year, Ms. Germu-“

Hamilton held up a hand, “Please, please don’t. What do you need?”

He frowned. What was it about him? Was it the slow drawl that just made him so tempting to interrupt? “I need you to be here,” James slid over a folded slip of paper, “By seven thirty at the latest. Dress nicely.”

Hamilton’s face twisted, “Wha-What kind of prank is this?! I’ll have you know that-“

“Germunder, Alex. Germunder.”

Hamilton hunched down and stuffed the slip into his pocket, “Alright alright. I’ll be there. But I’m bringing my friends with me, so don’t try anything!”

James smirked, what Hamilton didn’t know was that his friends would be _quite_ busy that night.

As James walked away, swallowed by his numerous sweaters and puffy coat, he hear Hamilton exclaim, “Wait, Valentine’s day?!”

 

 

James threw a menu at Thomas. “Valentine’s. Seven-thirty. Thank me later. If you don’t show I’m disowning you.”

 

 

James stretched and cracked his back. February 14th had arrived, and with it a deep chill that struck New York City. He and Laurens were sequestered in a private booth that just so happened to give them a direct view of a nervous Thomas. He was bouncing his leg so hard that James had to fight the urge to go over and smack him.

The door chimed and a swaddle of sweaters tottered its way indoors. James saw him talk the matr’d and be escorted over to Thomas.

 James gripped the table, fully prepared to physically restrain Laurens from bolting to his friend.  They both watched as Hamilton turned several interesting shades of red upon seeing his dining partner.

 

 

“So. Jefferso-”

“It’s Thomas. Please Alexander?” Thomas looked up at him from underneath his lashes and Hamilton felt a lump in his throat.

“Then I guess it’s Alexande-Alex. Just Alex.” The smile Thomas gave him, pearly teeth and shining eyes accented by thick frames glasses, set a hoard of butterflies aflutter in his stomach. Oh-Ooh. Shit.

Alex pulled out a chair and sat down. He glanced down at the menu and back up at his partner. For once, Thomas wasn’t smirking or pulling off a heinous villain laugh. Not that he ever had, but Alex was sure that he could. In fact, Thomas looked almost… happy. Alex quickly looked around, no, Martha wasn’t in the vicinity. “Okay, so I know neither of us is here of our own will,” Thomas rapidly lost his smile, “Who put you up to this?  They must have some serious dirt. You haven’t quipped once about my— my anything. And it’s starting to freak me out!” So _that’s_ where those butterflies came from. He was just freaked out because Thomas hadn’t put his foot in his mouth yet.

“Jemmy. He told me to show up here and now,” he gestured to himself, “well, I guess I’m here.”

Alex squinted and abruptly started peeling off layers until he was left in just one cable knit sweater, “I’m here, might as well eat, and since you’re paying I can afford to for once.”

Thomas was hit with the sudden urge to order the whole menu so that Alex could eat anything he wanted, but as soon as the feeling came Alex continued, “I guess that’s the cost of being friends with James, he gets _all_ the dirt on you. You would not believe this thing with Professor Germunder—” he coughed violently, “Anyways, not important.”

 

 

James picked at his food, ignoring the side glances given to him by Laurens as he stared intently at the other table. They were close enough to catch snippets but not whole conversations. Surprisingly Hamilton has sat down without much of a fuss and they were not making small talk, or as he caught whiffs of a revamped national banking system, Hamilton was monologuing and Thomas was just watching him talk with a sappy look on his face. James would bet that if asked about it later Thomas would not be able to recall a single word but would be able to write essays about how Hamilton’s eyes sparkled.

 

 

“Let me walk you home.” Thomas interrupted brusquely, after the bill had been sent off.

“And that’s why-what?” Alex tilted his head and stared back at Thomas, “We live in the same dorm complex, wouldn’t you be walking with me anyways?”

Thomas twisted his hands in his lap, “Listen. I like you. Like _like_ you. And even if I didn’t have the balls to ask you to dinner, now I’m asking you if I can walk you home. In a date sort of way.”

Despite being wonderfully full with excellent food, Alex felt his stomach churning and suddenly his heart was suddenly beating a bit too fast. “You— really?”

A hint of a challenge entered Thomas’ voice as he stood up and began gathering Alex’s myriad of sweaters that had migrated from the chair to under the table, “Yes I really want to walk you home.”

“No, you asshole! I mean you like me? For how long? Oh my god. Is arguing your way of flirting? This changes everything!”

Thomas pulled Alex out of the chair and escorted him towards the door, “Yes. Since orientation. And no, you’re just a little shit.”

 

 

James watched with slight panic as Hamilton and Thomas moved out of the resteraunt. They went the whole meal without killing each other and were in fact quite civil, a feat that even James was leery was possible. He turned towards Laurens and was met with a suggestive eyebrow waggle,

“Well now that I’ve been successfully ignored this whole stakeout, how about we blow this joint and go have some fun huh?”

James daintily folded his napkin that was sitting in his lap and placed it back on the table. “No.”

But Laurens was missing from his seat and materialized next to James, pulling him out of the booth and towards the biting cold outside.

“I said no! Laurens!”

It turned out John Laurens was the one with the maniacal laugh the whole time.

 

 

February 17th, and James had not seen hide nor hair of Thomas or Hamilton since Valentine’s day. He didn’t know if he should be worried or impressed. Laurens on the other hand, couldn’t seem to stop showing up.

An arm slung around his shoulders, “How about you stop worrying about all of the fantastic sex Alex is getting and come get ice cream with me?”

“It’s fourteen degrees out Laurens.”

“Is that a yes?”


End file.
